Supporting foot assembly for housings of refrigerators and the like



March 30, 1965 J. E. ADAMS 3,

SUPPORTING FOOT ASSEMBLY FOR HOUSINGS OF REFRIGERATORS AND THE LIKE Original Filed June 15, 1962 INVENTOR. JAMES E. ADAMS ATTORNEY United States Patent Griginal application June 15, 1962, Ser. No. 202,130. Divided and this application Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No.

2 Claims. c1. 248188.4)

This invention relates to an adjustable foot for supporting sheet metal housings such as refrigerators, washers, dryers and the like where it is necessary to effect leveling adjustment so that the housing can be properly positioned with respect to the supporting surface.

An object is to produce a new and improved fastener for installation on the bottom wall of the housing in a blind location and secured in place against axial and turning movements so that the foot can be readily applied screw threadedly and conveniently adjusted for leveling the housing on a fioor surface.

Another object is to produce a simple and etlicient foot assembly for a housing for a refrigerator or the like, the foot-receiving portion of which can be easily mounted on the bottom wall of the housing and is so concealed as not only to be unobtrusive but also is protected from damage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a housing for a refrigerator or the like equipped with an adjustable foot assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the screwreceiving fastener with the shoulders or flanges disposed in the position prior to being pressed laterally into securement with the inner side of the bottom housing panel;

FIGURE 3 is a top perspective view of the screw-receiving fastener; and

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the fastener shown in FIGURE 3.

This application constitutes a division of my copending application Serial No. 203,130, filed June 15, 1962 and entitled Screw-Receiving Sheet Metal Fastener.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a fragment of a housing for household refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and the like, which is formed with a horizontally disposed bottom wall B and an upright side wall S. The bottom wall B in this instance is formed with an upwardly depressed portion D having a central aperture H. The depressed portion D has an upper wall 7 which is flat and lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom wall B and in this instance is circular in form. At opposite sides of the central aperture H is a pair of elongate holes H arranged in the fiat wall of the depressed portion D.

A fastener for application to the depressed portion D has a flat sheet metal disc-like head 10, which is formed at the periphery with a pair of. upstanding parallel lugs 11 of generally rectangular shape. The lugs 11 extend into the holes H and hold the fastener against turning movements.

Integral with the central portion of the disc is an upstanding sleeve 12, which has a lower cylindrical portion 13 adjacent the head 10 and a reduced upper cylindrical portion 14 which is formed with internal screw threads 15. It will be understood that the disc 10 is disposed in the depressed portion D' and bears flat-wise against the under face of the bottom wall of the depressed portion. The lower cylindrical portion 13 extends through the hole H and has a relatively snug fit therein.

It will be apparent that upward movement of the disclike head 10 is prevented by the bottom wall of the depressed portion D. Movement of the sleeve 12 in the opposite direction is prevented by a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly extending stakes or shoulders 16, which abut the upper face of the bottom wall of the depressed portion D adjacent the aperture H.

It will be understood that the stakes are formed initially by a staking punch of slightly greater diameter than the inside diameter of the lower end of the sleeve 12, which is applied to the lower side of the sleeve to form inwardly extending shoulders 16 as indicated particularly on FIG- URE 2. Manifestly, the operation of the staking punch causes the metal to flow inwardly, forming a pair of shoulders 16. In so doing an opening 17a is formed at the base of the cylindrical tube portion 13 adjacent the head 10. Thereafter the shoulders 16 are forced outwardly by a suitable tool having a tapered nose to the position shown in FIGURE 1 where the shoulders, or stakes, extend outwardly of the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 13 and abut against the upper face of the depressed portion D and cooperate with the head 10 in preventing axial movement of the sleeve 12 in either direction.

An adjusting foot in the form of an elongate screwthreaded bolt 17 screw-threadedly engages the threads 15 of the sleeve portion 14. The bolt 17 has, at its lower end, a flat floor-engaging head 18. A nut 19 on the bolt 17 can be tightened against the head 10 securely to hold the adjusting foot in place after the desired height adjustment has been effected. Manifestly, this arrangement affords an exceedingly simple foot for supporting the housing although it will be understood that one or more of these adjusting or leveling feet are disposed at each corner of the housing. Thus, in an extremely simple manner the housing of the refrigerator or the like can be leveled with respect to the supporting surface.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable foot assembly for appliances such as refrigerators and stoves provided with a bottom sheet metal panel having an aperture, said assembly comprising a sheet metal fastener having a flanged head flatwise abut-ting against the underside of the bottom panel, an integral sleeve extending upwardly from said head and having a relatively snug fit in the bottom panel aperture, a reduced upper cylindrical portion on said s eeve having internal screw threads, outwardly extending rigid shoulders on said sleeve for engagement with the inner side of the bottom panel and to cooperate with said flanged head for holding the fastener from axial movements with respect to the bottom panel, positive means for restraining said fastener from turning relative to the bottom panel, a screw-threaded shank for engagement with said reduced threaded upper cylindrical portion, a nut on said shank to engage the bottom panel for retaining said shank References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Galson Dec. 17, 1935 Nalle Sept. 2, 1941 Judd et al Sept. 10, 1946 Castricone Nov. 23, 1954 Mutchni et a1 May 31, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE TEFICTE Patent No 0 3,175 ,795 March 30, 1965 James B. Adams It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqiiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below In the heading to the printed specification, line 7 for "Ser. No 202 ,130" read Ser. Non 205,130

Signed and sealed this 28th day of September 1965 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER AIM-sting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE FOOT ASSEMBLY FOR APPLIANCES SUCH AS REFRIGERATORS AND STOVES PROVIDED WITH A BOTTOM SHEET METAL PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SHEET METAL FASTENER HAVING A FLANGED HEAD FLATWISE ABUTTING AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL, AN INTEGRAL SLEEVE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID HEAD AND HAVING RELATIVELY SNUG FIT IN THE BOTTOM PANEL APERTURE, A REDUCED UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION ON SAID SLEEVE HAVING INTERNAL SCREW THREADS, OUTWARDLY EXTENDING RIGID SHOULDERS ON SAID SLEEVE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SIDE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL AND TO COOPERATE WITH THE INNER SIDE HEAD FOR HOLDING THE FASTENER FROM AXIAL MOVEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE BOTTOM PANEL, POSITIVE MEANS FOR RESTRAINING SAID FASTENER FROM TURNING RELATIVE TO THE BOTTOM PANEL, A SCREW-THREADED SHANK FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID REDUCED THREADED UPPER CYLINDRICAL PORTION, A NUT ON SAID SHANK TO ENGAGE THE BOTTOM PANEL FOR RETAINING SAID SHANK IN POSITION OF ADJUSTMENT, AND A FLOOR-ENGAGING HEAD ON THE OUTER END OF SAID SHANK. 